75 gallon reef fish stocking ideas

[brian.badge]

Our 75 gallon reef is just getting started. While we wait for current occupants to settle in I am day dreaming about what fish and coral to add. On the fish side of the house we have have
a very nice flame angel,
2 juvenile percula clowns,
a young blue side wrasse,
a purple firefish
And a shy jawfish.

We also have CUC with astrea snail, trochus snail and scarlet hermits.

I think we want a goby paired with a shrimp.

Beyond that I dont know how much room we have left for rent and who would be a good tenant. It's a reef tank so we are looking for at least semi good neighbors.

By the way "WE" includes my wife (the boss) and our three toddlers (the circus).

I am interested in behavior and personality, the Boss wants bright standout color (clowns and fire angel) the Circus just wants chaos.

 

[408Dartfish]

I really like my midas blenny great yellow and always swimming.

 

[Jesterrace]

Maybe another Fairy Wrasse or Flasher Wrasse. This one is one of my Favorites:

 

[W1ngz]

For colour and personality, what about a flame hawkfish? The only caveat might be if you have smaller gobies, apparently they may be preyed on. Adult sized gobies that are already paired with a pistol shrimp should be fine though. And for colour, a black cap basslet. Bright purple, though mine is a little shy and often hides among the rocks.

 

[brian.badge]

For colour and personality, what about a flame hawkfish? The only caveat might be if you have smaller gobies, apparently they may be preyed on. Adult sized gobies that are already paired with a pistol shrimp should be fine though. And for colour, a black cap basslet. Bright purple, though mine is a little shy and often hides among the rocks.

I was already considering a long nose hawk. I hadn't seen the flame before. Looks like they would be ok together. Brings to mind the other question I have. How much room do I have left? I dont want to overstock my tank and create truble.

 

[ReisolnitsuJ]

Maybe look into a valentini puffer? They say to proceed with caution when in a reef system, but in my experience as long as they are fed and happy they leave everything alone.

 

[W1ngz]

I was already considering a long nose hawk. I hadn't seen the flame before. Looks like they would be ok together. Brings to mind the other question I have. How much room do I have left? I dont want to overstock my tank and create truble.

I'm not sure what the generally accepted rule is these days. Personally I've always gone a bit conservative, and try and keep it below the ratio of 1/3" of fish per gallon based on adult sizes, regardless if they're currently juveniles or not. My hard limit is 1/2" of fish per gallon, also making sure the tank is an appropriate size for them when fully grown. Big swimmers, like tangs, need more space regardless of who else lives there.

Long nose hawks were on my wish list for a while, but I like shrimps, and they apparently tend to eat them.

 

[brian.badge]

I'm not sure what the generally accepted rule is these days. Personally I've always gone a bit conservative, and try and keep it below the ratio of 1/3" of fish per gallon based on adult sizes, regardless if they're currently juveniles or not. My hard limit is 1/2" of fish per gallon, also making sure the tank is an appropriate size for them when fully grown. Big swimmers, like tangs, need more space regardless of who else lives there.

Long nose hawks were on my wish list for a while, but I like shrimps, and they apparently tend to eat them.

So at 1/3 I am overstocked. At 1/2 I have some room. I know these are broad and an inch of jawfish is different than an inch of angelfish, but I dont know enough yet to judge it.

If this were Malawi Haps (freshwater) then I would know. It's weird being new and learning the same stuff, but different, all over again.

 

[Jon Fishman]

Maybe look into a valentini puffer? They say to proceed with caution when in a reef system, but in my experience as long as they are fed and happy they leave everything alone.

I keep finding myself recommending Valentini's and Sharp-noses because.... well, I love my puffer fish...... But I've seen beautiful tanks with large skunk/coral bandit shrimp running around and they look amazing, and I realize that as long as I have a puffer I can never have any of those cool shrimp...... honestly not sure about the fate of most of my CUC once he gets bigger.

 

[W1ngz]

So at 1/3 I am overstocked. At 1/2 I have some room. I know these are broad and an inch of jawfish is different than an inch of angelfish, but I dont know enough yet to judge it.

If this were Malawi Haps (freshwater) then I would know. It's weird being new and learning the same stuff, but different, all over again.

As long as you're between the two I'd say you're ok. It's more about making sure the amount of biofilter in the rock and sand can manage the bioload, and so everyone has their own little place to hide or sleep, to limit community stress.

 

[ReeferReefer]

I would pick a blenny (midas, canary, starry) or another wrasse (flasher).

 

[brian.badge]

After reading about stocking guidelines I am a little lost. I know which fish are compatible andhow big a tank they need.

Most people toss out inch per gallon rules as not useful in general.

Looking at my tank and trying to imagine adult sized fish (using my freshwater cichlid eyes) the tank seems at best 75% stocked.

Before I go buying a blenny, wrasse, hawkfish etc I would like to understand based on my current fish how full more experienced aquarists think I am. Frankly with juvenile fish it looks pretty empty right now, but they are growing.

 

[W1ngz]

Looking at my tank and trying to imagine adult sized fish (using my freshwater cichlid eyes) the tank seems at best 75% stocked.

I'd agree with about 75%. If that's what I had in my 75 at home, my tank would feel a little on the desolate side. I'd have no problems adding the blenny, wrasse, and the hawkfish (though not all at the same time, over 3-4 months).

 

[W1ngz]

For comparison, my 75 which I feel is also a little 'under-staffed' by 1 or 2 has:
2 black oscelaris, 1 Kole tang, 1 pyjama cardinal, 1 black cap basslet, 1 purple firefish, 1 six-line wrasse, 1 Wheeler goby (and his pistol shrimp roommate), along with assorted inverts.

 

[brian.badge]

So far the wife and I love the flame hawkfish and midas blenny. We are looking at the different wrasses too.

My wife also really wants a mandarin. Any advice on them?

 

[W1ngz]

Mandarins are picky eaters, usually sticking to amphipods they hunt throughout the day. I've heard it's possible to get tank raised fish that have learned to eat prepared foods, but it's iffy and they usually starve to death, particularly in new tanks. Most recommend not adding mandarins until 12-18 months after a tank is established and is healthy. I've seen recommendations that they aren't suitable in anything under 100 gallon 5' display tanks, just to make sure there's a viable pod population. You'd have to research which of your other fish might also pick off pods and try to limit competition. I have a six line wrasse that devours every pod it can find, and I'm considering rehoming it to make room for a mandarin in the new 90 cube that I'm building.

At minimum you need a refugium in the sump or as a hang-on addon to give the pods a breeding ground to maintain the population.

 

[brian.badge]

Mandarins are picky eaters, usually sticking to amphipods they hunt throughout the day. I've heard it's possible to get tank raised fish that have learned to eat prepared foods, but it's iffy and they usually starve to death, particularly in new tanks. Most recommend not adding mandarins until 12-18 months after a tank is established and is healthy. I've seen recommendations that they aren't suitable in anything under 100 gallon 5' display tanks, just to make sure there's a viable pod population. You'd have to research which of your other fish might also pick off pods and try to limit competition. I have a six line wrasse that devours every pod it can find, and I'm considering rehoming it to make room for a mandarin in the new 90 cube that I'm building.

At minimum you need a refugium in the sump or as a hang-on addon to give the pods a breeding ground to maintain the population.

Thank you. That makes a mandarin a maybe someday, but for the time being I want to keep from getting in over my head.

 

[ReisolnitsuJ]

I keep finding myself recommending Valentini's and Sharp-noses because.... well, I love my puffer fish...... But I've seen beautiful tanks with large skunk/coral bandit shrimp running around and they look amazing, and I realize that as long as I have a puffer I can never have any of those cool shrimp...... honestly not sure about the fate of most of my CUC once he gets bigger.

Oh really? I have quite a large skunk cleaner shrimp and mine and the puffer has left him completely alone. It may help that the shrimp is almost two times the valentinis size though.

 

[Jon Fishman]

Oh really? I have quite a large skunk cleaner shrimp and mine and the puffer has left him completely alone. It may help that the shrimp is almost two times the valentinis size though.

I don't know. I set up a Nem tank, and the puffer isn't in it, so now I can have cool shrimp without worry..... I picked up two Fire-Shrimp for $30 ea. I just don't know if I'd want to risk it with the puffer. I just recently added 10 more emerald crabs to my tank (I love those things.... coral nipping or not) and he swam over and immediately started attacking them, and I had to shoo him away until they had a chance to make it to the rocks...... I still see him nip at them occasionally but they fight back..... I just think a fancy shrimp wouldn't stand a chance.....

EDIT: and he immediately murdered 3 cleaner shrimp when I removed a couple of rocks during a tank-transfer........ maybe that's why I worry, but those were much smaller than the larger skunks etc.